Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh did not include both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma while picking the top three batters in the world. The top pick for the cricketer, who won the 2007 T20 World Cup as well as the 2011 ODI World Cup, was the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. He also named former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis and West Indies great Brian Lara as his other two options. In a video that has gone viral on social media, Harbhajan was asked to choose the top three batters in the world and he went for three legendary options rather than any player who are currently playing the game.

Former Indian cricket team batter Robin Uthappa also did not include Rohit and Virat as he went with Sir Vivian Richards, Tendulkar and Lara as his three options.

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch also picked Tendulkar and Lara with his third choice being the legendary Australia cricket team captain Ricky Ponting.

“Obviously, Sachin, the record that he had over… Ricky Ponting for the impact that he had on Australian cricket, Brian Lara, just the sheer entertaining value,” Finch said.

However, former India all-rounder Suresh Raina included both Rohit and Virat in his Top 3 along with England cricketer Joe Root.

Earlier, Harbhajan Singh congratulated Gautam Gambhir on his new innings as the Team India head coach.

“I am sure that your experience, energy, passion, aggression and talent will steer the team on the path of excellence. My best wishes to you. Good luck buddy,” wrote Harbhajan.

Anil Kumble commented: “Congratulations Gautam Gambhir. Wishing you the best!” Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa who was his opening partner in their 2014-IPL title winning campaign, also chipped in with a congratulatory message.

“Congratulations bro!! Can’t wait to see the men’s team flourish under your able guidance. Wishing you the best for the new role. Lots of love!!” Uthappa posted on X.

Test stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara wrote, “Congratulations and best wishes Gauti bhai!”

(With PTI inputs)

From an unbeaten 501 in a County match, to 400 not out in a single innings of a Test match, Brian Lara pulled off some incredible records during his playing career. Lara broke the record for must runs by a batter in a single innings of Test match not once, but twice. In 1994, he overtook compatriot Gary Sobers’ 365 and scored 375 against England at St. John’s. The record was broken 10 years later when Matthew Hayden smashed 385 against Zimbabwe.

However, Lara didn’t let it slide this time as he smashed an unbeaten 400 against England at the same venue where he overtook Sobers in the first place. 

Now, 20 years down the road, Lara’s record still remains intact. In fact, the last batter to even cross 350 was Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene, who scored 374 against South Africa in 2006.

However, Lara admitted that a few players from the current generation are capable enough to break his record. Lara picked two players each from England and India that can surpass his momentous feat.

“There were players in my time who challenged, or at least went past the 300 mark – Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sanath Jayasuriya. They were pretty much aggressive players,” Lara told The Daily Mail.

“How many aggressive players do you have playing today? Especially in the England team. Zak Crawley and Harry Brook. Maybe in the Indian team? Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill. If they find the right situation, the records could be broken – both of them,” he added.

Speaking on what inspired him to break the record twice, Lara suggested: “I fell in love with being that spectacle, reducing the opposition’s options, seeing them pretty much flat. I made that my forte – when I knew a team was down, I wasn’t going to give it away. I was going to take advantage of the situation. That was 375, 400, 501. It was very similar attitude to that of West Indies’ great bowlers. When you have a red ball in your hand and are bowling at 90 miles an hour, you know guys are going to be scared.” 

West Indian batting great Brian Lara had predicted Afghanistan would reach the T20 World Cup semifinals nearly a month before the tournament began and now that the giant-slayers have made it, skipper Rashid Khan said he is immensely proud to have proved the legend right. Afghanistan continued their brilliant run at the T20 World Cup as they marched to their first-ever World Cup semifinal with an eight-wun win over Bangladesh in the last Super 8 clash.

“The only guy who put us in the semifinals was Brian Lara and we proved him right. When we met him at a welcome party, I told him we won’t let you down,” Rashid said at the post-match presentation.

Lara, in an interaction with PTI editors at its headquarters last month, had predicted that Afghanistan would be among the semifinalists in the mega-event.

“Afghanistan, they are capable of getting into the (last) four,” Lara had said, while picking his tournament favourites.

Rashid said the conviction that they could advance to the semifinals was ignited by their triumph over heavyweights New Zealand in the group stage.

“It’s a dream for us to be in the semifinals. The way we started the tournament, the belief came when we beat New Zealand. It’s unbelievable,” he recalled.

Afghanistan also picked up a historic win over Australia before beating Bangladesh in the final Super 8 fixture to set up semifinal date with South Africa on June 27.

Against Bangladesh, Afghanistan were restricted to 115/5 but the bowlers led by Naveen Ul Haq and Rashid propelled them to a thrilling eight-run win.

“We thought 130-135 was a good score but we fell 15 runs short. We knew they would come hard at us and we knew that is what we could take advantage of. We didn’t need to do anything extra, just be clear in our plans.

Pacers Naveen and Fazalhaq Farooqi have excelled with the new ball all through the campaign and Rashid couldn’t be happier.

“In T20s if you get a good start, it helps us in the middle overs. They have given great starts to us in the whole competition. It makes it easier for us to go harder at the batsmen.

“They have delivered, they were very clear in their minds,” Rashid said.

On the several rain interruptions that eventually led the match to be truncated, Rashid said they were mentally ready to pick all 10 wickets.

“Rain is something not in our hands but mentally we knew we have to play 20 overs and take 10 wickets.

“That’s the only way we could win. But Gulbadin, he had some cramps. But his wicket was invaluable to us,” he said.

The skipper reckoned there will be huge celebration back home.

“It’s a big achievement for us as well. We have done that at U-19 level but at this World Cup, I don’t have any words to describe the feeling back home. We have to go into the semis with a very clear mind and make sure we enjoy the occasion,” he said.

Shanto blames batters

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto conceded the team was once again let down by its batters.

“We bowled really well. As a bowling unit we did a lot of good things. But as a batting unit we made some poor decisions especially in the middle overs,” he admitted.

“Whole tournament, we bowled really well, especially Rishad the new guy came and bowled really well, I am really happy for him. As a batting unit we really need to improve a lot.”

Ahead of India’s 2024 ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights game against Bangladesh, Former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara backed the opening pair of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to come good during the game, saying that Bangladesh would not be much of a threat and Men in Blue will be 100 for no loss during the game. India will be taking on Bangladesh in their Super Eights clash at Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday. India is in second place in Group 1 of Super Eights, with a win against Afghanistan and two points. Bangladesh is at the bottom place, having lost their game against Australia. This one is a crucial game for them to keep their Super Eights hopes alive while India will pretty much reach the semifinals with a win over Bangladesh.

The opening pair of Rohit and Virat has not fired so far in the tournament. While Rohit has scored just 76 runs in four innings including a fifty, Virat has been extremely underwhelming after a blockbuster Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, scoring just 29 runs in four innings, with 24 as his best score.

Speaking to Star Sports, Lara said that even though pacer Mustafizur Rahman is a great bowler and will threaten India, the experienced duo will be too much for Bangladesh.

“India is going to be 100 without loss in that match if they bat first, right? And even if they bat second, they are going to be 100 without loss. Of course, Fizz (Mustafizur) is an amazing bowler. He is going to come out and threaten but I just feel that India is just too much and that roller coaster and, you know, they just seem rolling every team at the moment and that’s how I think it is going to happen,” said Lara.

“India is very concerned about the opening partnership, and they are going to fix that against Bangladesh. I do not think that Bangladesh is going to be a threat,” he added.

Lara went on to praise the opening pair, saying that they are two of the best in T20Is and they are going to give India much-needed impetus during the knockout stages. He also pointed out that the ongoing tournament has not been dominated by batters and rather it is bowlers who have been at advantage.

“I think it is (Rohit-Virat pair) is going to give India that impetus that is needed going into the back end of the tournament of the semi-finals and the finals. So, this match, I think that those two great players, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are going to come to the fore,” said Lara.

“I think the Indian team expects a good opening partnership. Everything is falling into place. This World Cup is a World Cup where no team is very dominant because of the state of the pitches. But if India can solve the opening problem, and it is not a problem, it is the two best T20 players in the world, they are not going to run right now,” he concluded.

Squads:

India Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal

Bangladesh Squad: Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das(w), Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Shoriful Islam, Soumya Sarkar.

The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team will look to end more than a decade long wait for an ICC trophy at the upcoming T20 World Cup, starting June 2 in the West Indies and USA. India last won an ICC trophy in 2013, beating England in the Champions Trophy final under the leadership of MS Dhoni. With Rahul Dravid‘s tenure as head coach set to end after the T20 World Cup, the former India captain has one final chance to cement his legacy and bow out in style. Last year, Dravid was at the helm as India lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup final.

Ahead of the T20 World Cup, former West Indies captain Brian Lara has shared a piece of advice for Dravid. Lara suggested that due to India’s constant faliures in ICC knockout games, Dravid needs to devise a plan to see off the latter stages of the tournament.

“Indian team, just looking from the outside, in previous Cups, be it T20 or 50-overs, I just feel they are lacking that final plan in terms of how they are going to go about. It doesn’t matter how many superstars you have; it matters how you are going to go about winning this World Cup, what plans you are going to have in place, and how you are going to structure your innings or attack. I hope Rahul Dravid can get his players together and can devise a plan for India to win T20 World Cup,” Lara said on Star Sports.

India will play Bangladesh in their only T20 World Cup warm-up game on Saturday in New York. It is expected that all the players, sans Virat Kohli, could feature as it doesn’t have an official status.

India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and T20 World Cup co-hosts USA.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj. Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan.